Russia, West Face Off Over Ukraine at UN

A pro-Russian gunman stands guard at a police station that was seized by pro-Russian militants, in the eastern Ukraine town of Slovyansk, April 13, 2014.

A pro-Russian protester holds a shield at a check point, while black smoke from burning tires engulfs the area, in Slovyansk, April 13, 2014.

A pro-Russian armed man stands guard at a barricade in front of pro-Russian protesters near the police headquarters in Slovyansk, April 13, 2014.

Pro-Russian men gather around a fire at a barricade near the police headquarters in Slovyansk, April 13, 2014.

Pro-Russian men warm themselves near a fire at a barricade near the police headquarters in Slovyansk, April 13, 2014.

Ukraine's Interior Minister told residents to stay indoors in anticipation of clashes between pro-Russian militants who have seized official buildings and Ukrainain security forces, in the eastern city of Slovyansk, April 13, 2014.

Interior Ministry members stand near men who were injured in clashes between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian supporters during rallies, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 13, 2014.

Protesters hold a rally outside the mayor's office. Local media reported that separatist protesters seized control of the mayor's office in the town of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, April 13, 2014.

A man climbs a post to remove a Ukrainian flag as protesters hold a rally outside the mayor's office in Mariupol, April 13, 2014.

People gather after a costumed reenactment dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Simferopol from fascist troops during the World War II outside the village of Kurtsy, near Simferopol, Crimea, April 13, 2014.

A woman shouts and waves a Russian flag during the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Simferopol from fascist troops during the World War II outside the village of Kurtsy, near Simferopol, Crimea.

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Russia came under heavy criticism from world powers at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council Sunday, as violent clashes flared between pro-Russia separatists and Kyiv government supporters in eastern Ukraine.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power and British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant accused Russia of orchestrating the violence.

Power said the instability in Ukraine was "completely man-made." She said it was "written and choreographed" by Russia. Grant called on the Security Council to warn Russia against "further military escalation."

Russia, which called the meeting, rejected the charges.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin called on the international community to demand that those who are in power in Kyiv stop war on their own citizens, referring to a warning by Ukraine’s government that it will use force against pro-Russia activists in the eastern part of Ukraine if they do not disarm.

In a televised speech Sunday, Ukraine's acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, vowed Kyiv will not let Russia take over eastern Ukraine after its annexation of the Crimean peninsula last month.

He said he will grant amnesty to any pro-Russian separatists who lay down their weapons by Monday but vowed to use force against those who don't.

Turchynov accused Moscow of carrying out a war against Ukraine, once part of its Soviet empire.

"Blood has been shed in a war which the Russian Federation unleashed against Ukraine. The aggressor has not stopped but continues to incite unrest in Ukraine’s east. It's not a war between Ukrainians; it's an artificially created confrontation, whose goal is to see Ukraine weakened and destroyed as a country. But in the end it will weaken our enemies. Russia today has drawn condemnation from the entire civilized world,'' said Turchynov.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry immediately dismissed Turchynov’s order to launch the operation as "criminal" and called for its immediate review by the U.N. Security Council. A meeting is set for Sunday night.

Turchynov's speech came hours after Ukrainian special forces and pro-Russian militia exchanged gunfire in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk, with both sides reporting casualties.

Ukraine's interior minister, Arsen Avakov, said a security service officer was killed and another five wounded in the latest skirmish in the aftermath of Moscow's Crimea take-over last month. At least one pro-Russian activist was also reported killed in the gunfire and two injured.

Russia draws condemnation

The escalation came a day after pro-Russian gunmen took over the Slovyansk police station, and government facilities in the largely Russian-speaking cities of Donetsk and Kramatorsk.

U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Samantha Power, told ABC's This Week the unrest in eastern Ukraine "bears the tell-tale signs of Moscow's involvement."

In a statement, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he was "extremely concerned" about the increased tensions in the region. He described it a "concerted campaign of violence by pro-Russian separatists" seeking to destabilize Ukraine.

Fogh Rasmussen called on Russia to "de-escalate the crisis" and pull back thousands of troops it massed on its border with Ukraine.

On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in a telephone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, warned there would be additional consequences beyond sanctions already imposed against Russian officials if Moscow did not move to ease tensions in eastern Ukraine.

Lavrov said the crisis was caused by the Kyiv government ignoring the "legitimate needs and interests" of eastern Ukraine's Russian-speaking population.

A White House National Security Council spokeswoman said Saturday the United States is concerned that Russian-speaking separatists - with apparent support from Moscow - are "inciting violence and sabotage" against the Ukrainian state.

Moscow has repeatedly denied any role in Ukraine's unrest, which erupted in full two months ago when then-president Viktor Yanukovych fled the country amid protests in Kyiv.

Top diplomats from Russia, the United States, Ukraine and the European Union are set to hold emergency talks on the crisis April 17 in Geneva. White House officials say U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Kyiv April 22.

Comments page of 2

The picture in in Ukraine regarding the instigation of destabilization is obvious. Mr Putin is sending his soldiers dresses and armed as thugs and thieves and denies any connection. Mr. Putin must wise-up and behave in a manner of becoming for a civilized world leader. Imperial days of Russia are over even though Mr. Putin wants to turn the clock back. He needs to curb his imperialistic expansionistic tendencies.

Story goes that he killed his own people and school children and then blamed this on Chechen separatists and used this to go and invade Ossetia and other parts Also one of his former people related that Putin is planing to kill some of pro-Russia people and his own soldiers and make make a move to invade Eastern Ukraine to "protect his people" Isn't that reminiscent of Hitler's move? He paid the ultimate prize, eventually.

by: Jr6 from: California

April 14, 2014 11:03 AM

The west has been too slow to move again. Putin has been allowed to send his agents into eastern Ukraine. His aims are both to protect the economic interests of his mafia dictatorship and to bolster his political control within Russia. The only reasonable response to Putin's aggression would be to send in US troops now and then to speed Ukraine's inclusion in NATO. Russia has no legitimate reason to fear the expansion of NATO. NATO's mission has always been defensive, and no country needs this defense more than Ukraine. This defense goes far beyond protection from a Russian invasion, it would also protect Ukraine from the economic extortion that Putin has used to keep Ukraine in debt and to support criminal puppets like Yanukovych. With NATO protection, Ukraine will ultimately be offered a fair price for Russian energy, an it will receive fair prices for its exports to Russia

by: Vladimir from: Moscow

April 14, 2014 7:37 AM

A question for all of those supposedly from US/Can posting here &amp; on other such comment boards. Do you get paid for every hundred posts? In dollars or rubles? I'm looking for work &amp; thought being a propagandist for the Soviet Union might be for me.

Oh, and, I really hope Ukraine chucks out all the thugs. Sooner the better.

Must sign off as samovar is boiling.

by: Michael Bohn from: London

April 14, 2014 7:26 AM

In response to the following statement by the user 'five':"Uhh. Can't Russia simply veto anything the "Security Counsel" brings to vote?........silly."

The Russians called for this emergency meeting.

by: Hermann from: Peru

April 14, 2014 7:18 AM

Russia asked for the UN security council emergency meeting. The 'world powers' are utterly confused as to why would 'the aggressor' do such thing if they're set to 'invade'. Since the US and EU credibility is no longer on line, it has been evaporated for that matter, the only course of action left is to continue with unfounded accusations and dangerous rhetoric while supporting the illegitimate radicals in Kiev .... Remember, Crimea was not invaded or occupied. It voted itself out of the mess created by US and EU.

by: Thomas from: Petoskey

April 14, 2014 7:09 AM

I'm so tired of Western countries like my own (US) crying fowl on Russia or any other power for taking military action in its own back yard. Someone please tell me that what the US and its allies in Egypt, Syria, Bosnia, Kosovo and in so many other nations that had internal fighting. One word for the West...HYPOCRITE!

by: gjorgjia2 from: Earth

April 14, 2014 6:18 AM

Western prop bullshits.. Let me remind you of something which was happening more than 10 years ago.. Kossovo conflict/unlegal secession from Serbia and creation of new state in opposite of all international laws and agreemants and afterwards the armed conflict in Macedonia. Just change the words "Ukraine" with "Serbia"/"Macedonia", "pro-Russian" with "albanian", "Russia"/"russian" with "USA" and "EU"/"western"... Go Putin, strike the hypocrites back..

by: Bozo the clown from: Home

April 14, 2014 2:31 AM

Are you for real? Can you possibly cram any more crop into an article?

by: meanbill from: USA

April 14, 2014 12:40 AM

TRUTH BE TOLD.... There is no legitimate government in Ukraine, only ultra-right wing extremists that the US and EU supported in ousting the legal Democratic elected government of Ukraine, and not any Ukrainians know what these ultra-right wing extremists nuts stand for, or what their intentions are for the country, or for the people living in it, since none of these ultra-right wing extremists ever ran for any office, and didn't campaign for anything.. From a spark came a flame, that started a fire, and now that fire is growing, and ready to consume the whole country, and the people still don't know why they started this fire, and why the US and EU is fanning the flames? --- SOMEBODY better put out the fire, shouldn't they?

by: Igor from: Russia

April 14, 2014 12:27 AM

Every one knows that Samantha Power is always speading lies on behalf of the US gorvenment. Pls look at her face you cannot see any happy ending on it except the aspect of a fox. If those in Kiev kill their people, they will surely be targerted by our force without mercy! It is high time for the US to stop their threat of sactions or they will face deadly consequences.

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